Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1887-10-07
Save Seed Corn at Once.

This is an important matter; 1t
was an oversight that we did not
speak of it sooner. Each hour
given to this work by corn growers
now, may be worth S., or $40, or
$40. Five quarts seed will plant a
whole acre. A few minutes devot-
ed to selecting good seed, and
taking the right care of it, may
increase the crop 10 to 20 bushels
or more on that acre. On the
average, a corn field that has to be
replantedi is half lost. There is a
great difference between corn
plants that merely grow, and those
that grow vigorously.
Like produces like" Seed
from stalks bearing two or three
ears are sure to be more prolific
than that from stalks bearing but
one ear. Seed from the middle of
ears that are plump, well rounded,
ripened, is by far the most likely
to produce similar ears. Water,
or the least bit of moisture, ex-
pands one tenth of its whole bulk
whenever the temperature falls
down to 30 deg, the freezing point
of water; and it expands as much
when the air warns up little. A
few changes like this in the tenn
perature, between midday and
midnight, expand and contract the
moisture in corn not thoroughly
dry, and wrench the tender fibers
enough to greatly weaken them.
Such kernals, when planted if
they grow at all, send forth but
puny plants.
Therefore, go to the field at
once or to the shocks, if the corn
is cut, select good, plump, we'll fill
ed ears, and those we'll ripened,
and if possible from stalks having
two CT more good ears on them
taking only one of the ears if there
IS but one fully matured, and
plump and well rounded out at
each end with good kernels. Tear
one side of the husk enough to see
the condition of the corn. Select
the ears earliest ripened, for slike
produces like" and the offspring
OF such ears may give you a crop
next year enough earlier to save it
from frost-Pick these ears into
baskets as You 60 along. Get
enough of them for all your own
seed.
1t will pay to gather every such
ear you can find, and sell any sur
plus to careless neighbors at a
good, round price.
lake the corn to a place where
it will never be rained on, or wet
by dews. Strip off the husks,
leaving enough of them to hang up
the ears by. { 1t is better, cheap
er and more convenient to send to
Mahlon II. Smith and get some of
his screws and hanging wires,
which answered SO admirably at
the corn show lasty
tits graet deal better to dry the
cora by gentle fire heat, Until all
the moisture is got out. If this
can not possibly be done, have it
well dried in the snn, and keep it
out of rains and dews. 1t needs to
be dried at once, unless kept in a
room SO warmed that it will not
freeze in these chilly nights, and
to be SO dried that no moisture
will get into the kernels.
ooh, L can't be bothered with SO
much trouble; I'm too busy" is
what many readers will say or
think, or act out. If you want to
do the most profitable farming You
can't afford to do any less than the
above, all of which will not take
over five or ten minutes at most, for
seed enough to plant a whole acre.
Ii it will pay for one acre, as it |
surely will, twill pay for 10, SO or
100 acres. Seed corn kept in the
crib is never safe; nine teenths of |
1t will not, can not produce good |
stroDu piporou, ,DIon4o ~